JUCO additions spice up competition on OL
August 12, 2019 at 8:05 p.m.

FAYETTEVILLE — Among the University of Arkansas football team’s six offensive line signees last year were junior college tackles Myron Cunningham and Chibueze Nwanna.

“We signed two juco tackles for a reason — and it was to (anger) my other tackles,” offensive line coach Dustin Fry said before the start of training camp. “I really think it did.”

Colton Jackson and Dalton Wagner, who have been working as the starters at left and right tackle since camp started, said Fry told them essentially the same thing about signing older linemen.

“He said, ‘I’ve recruited two junior college tackles and I expect him to take your positions,’” said Wagner, a redshirt sophomore. “It lights you up, gets you all competitive, gets you angry.

“You’re like, ‘I’m not going to let him take my spot.’ So you work extra hard. I mean, it’s about competition and we’re definitely a lot better for it.”

Jackson, a fifth-year senior from Conway who leads the offensive linemen with 21 career starts, smiled when asked about Fry’s statement.

“That’s just part of the game,” Jackson said. “When you go out and recruit, you’re looking to replace guys who are gone and create competition.

“I don’t let it get in my head or anything. Myron and Chibueze are great players and we’re glad to have them with us.”

The unusually large offensive line signing class has boosted the position numbers after the Razorbacks were down to eight scholarship linemen at times last season because of injuries.

Arkansas had 17 offensive linemen working at Monday’s practice — including 14 on scholarship — even with the loss of tackle Noah Gatlin to a season-ending knee injury the first day of camp.

“It’s a lot different,” said redshirt sophomore Shane Clenin, who is working at first-team right guard. “You go to a meeting and it’s full.”

The increased depth on the offensive line has allowed Arkansas to work with four teams on two fields simultaneously during practice.

“It’s big having so many guys on the line getting reps,” Jackson said. “We’re expecting to not have any drop-off. It’s next man up if somebody goes down.”

Joining Jackson, Wagner, Clenin on the starting offensive line in camp have been center Ty Clary and left guard Austin Capps.

Clary, a junior from Fayetteville, has 15 career starts, including 11 last season.

“Ty’s got a lot of reps underneath him,” Arkansas coach Chad Morris said. “We expect him to be a dominant player for us.”

Clary started the final nine games last season at center after getting two starts at guard.

“There’s so much more confidence now in my game and knowing that I’ve been here before,” Clary said. “I’m ready for anything the defense is going to throw at me.”

Capps opened camp last year on the defensive line, then moved to offense because of depth issues.

“When Austin first came over, the first reps he got at guard were in a scrimmage,” Clenin said. “So he was like, ‘What is going on?’ But we didn’t have much depth last year, so he was even going with some of the ones and twos.

“Offensive line steps and technique is a lot different than defense, so he’s been really trying to get with that. I know he spends a lot of extra time with coach Fry in the film room and trying to work on stuff. He’s been doing a great job.”

Capps, a senior from Star City who played in 11 games last season, said he’s “100 percent” more comfortable at guard now than he did a year ago.